Denali, the nation’s largest full-service recycler of organics, and HelloFresh, the leading meal kit provider in the U.S., have reached a major environmental achievement by repurposing nearly 4 million pounds of food waste in Phoenix. Their partnership converts food waste into valuable products such as compost and animal feed, contributing to a circular economy by reintegrating these resources into agriculture. This collaboration helps combat climate change by diverting food waste from landfills, which are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Launched in 2023, this innovative food waste diversion program focuses on recycling pre-consumer food waste from HelloFresh’s facilities in Goodyear and Phoenix, Arizona. Supported by logistics from Innovative Waste Recycling (IWR), a national waste management company specializing in sustainable solutions, Denali uses depackaging machines to efficiently separate food waste from trash. Through its network of facilities in the Phoenix area, Denali transforms this food waste into compost to enrich local farms and gardens, and into animal feed, providing local farmers with more sustainable feeding options.
By the end of 2023, Denali, HelloFresh, and IWR will have diverted 4 million pounds of food waste from Phoenix landfills. This effort is projected to prevent approximately 1,307 tons of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere, equivalent to the emissions generated by driving over 1.5 million miles in an average gasoline-powered vehicle.
“At HelloFresh, we are committed to building a more sustainable food system,” said Jeff Yorzyk, Senior Director of Sustainability at HelloFresh North America. “Denali allows us to repurpose inedible food, turning it into animal feed and compost for agricultural use across Arizona. We’re dedicated to continuing to reduce food waste at all our U.S. processing centers and are grateful for partners like IWR and Denali who help us achieve these sustainable goals.”
Denali’s advanced technology takes on the previously labor-intensive process of separating food from packaging materials like cardboard, plastic, and other non-edible waste. Typically, this waste includes food scraps from produce, dairy, and bread, as well as ingredients nearing expiration that cannot be included in HelloFresh meal kits.
Once separated, Denali combines the clean organic material with green waste, such as lawn clippings and tree branches, producing over 20,000 tons of nutrient-rich compost in Phoenix each year—enough to fill one million one-cubic-foot bags of soil.
“HelloFresh is a pioneer in reshaping the traditional food supply chain with its sustainable practices and significant efforts to reduce food waste in its processing centers,” said Ilia Kostov, Denali’s Chief Revenue Officer. “Denali is proud to be their recycling partner in Arizona, where our collaboration is a prime example of how we can revolutionize food waste recycling for the benefit of communities and the environment.”
Denali’s large-scale operations in the Phoenix area enable the recycling of organic waste from HelloFresh’s production centers. Consumers in the region can purchase compost created from the recycled food waste, further contributing to a sustainable local economy.
